Delivering improved seeds to smallholder farmers in the developing world is an efficient and sustainable method of increasing crop yields and quality. Unlike fertilizers, pesticides and equipment, seeds can be produced locally for distribution to farmers or self-saved. Furthermore, improved varieties of horticultural crops often reduce dependence on synthetic pesticides, improve food safety, re...

Defatted hemp, flax and canola seed cakes were extracted with different solvent systems namely methanol, ethanol, acetone, methanol 80%, acetone 80% and mixed solvent of methanol:acetone:water (MAW, 7:7:6, v/v/v). Each extract was analyzed for antioxidant capacity using ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2,2-diphenyl-1picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging assays. MAW exhibited the ...

The three primary tissue systems of the funiculus each undergo unique developmental programs to support the growth and development of the filial seed. To understand the underlying transcriptional mechanisms that orchestrate development of the funiculus at the globular embryonic stage of seed development, we used laser microdissection coupled with RNA-sequencing to produce a high-resolution data...

The conservation of crop genetic resources requires understanding the different variables-cultural, social, and economic-that impinge on crop diversity. In small-scale farming systems, seed exchanges represent a key mechanism in the dynamics of crop genetic diversity, and analyzing the rules that structure social networks of seed exchange between farmer communities can help decipher patterns of...

The seeds of flowering plants develop from double fertilization and play a vital role in reproduction and supplying human and animal food. The genetic variation of seed traits is influenced by multiple genetic systems, e.g., maternal, embryo, and/or endosperm genomes. Understanding the genetic architecture of seed traits is a major challenge because of this complex mechanism of multiple genetic...

The range grazing and distance walked for diet selection and nutritive value were studied in close and open range systems at the flowering and seed setting stages during the September and November 2009 respectively in El-khuwei locality (El Rosa). A completely randomized design was used (CRD). Sampling was done by two stage flowering and seed sating stage under protected and open range systems ...

The study was conducted to determine the effects of nitrogen fertilizing systems and harvest frequency on levels of hard-seedness and hard-seed softening trend in M. scutellata var. Robinson. The study was carried out at Agricultural Research Farm of University of Tehran in Karaj during 2006. The experimental design was a randomized complete block with a split-split plot arrangement with four r...

At a time when plant species are experiencing increasing challenges from climate change, land-use change, harvesting and invasive species, dispersal has become a very important aspect of plant conservation. Seed dispersal by animals is particularly important because some animals disperse seeds to suitable sites in a directed fashion. Our review has two aims: (i) to highlight the various ways pl...

Turbulence is believed to play important roles in the origin of cosmic magnetism. While it is well known that turbulence can efficiently amplify a uniform or spatially homogeneous seed magnetic field, it is not clear whether or not we can draw a similar conclusion for a localized seed magnetic field. The main uncertainty is the rate of magnetic field diffusion on scales larger than the outer sc...